Taking its name from the world’s oldest desert, Namibia is a vast country of outstanding natural beauty. Your outlook will change from startlingly stark and deserted to luxuriously luscious and full of life as you travel through this diverse landscape. Take a hot air balloon ride across the stretching sands of the Namib, trek into the wilderness with Kalahari Bushmen or go whale-watching off Swakopmund, nestled among more than 1,500km of coastline. As the continent’s biggest conservation success story, Namibia is also one of the best places to see African icons such as big cats, elephants and rhinos living among the land’s many deserts, wetlands and grass plains. Once you’ve had your fill of nature, get your cultural fix in the buzzing cities and towns such as Windhoek or Lüderitz, where the locals are willing to share in the country’s fascinating history and cultural traditions.